This invention relates to a connecting member for chutes of chain-and-flight conveyors, particularly those of heavy-duty type, suited to co-operation with mechanised supports provided with hydraulic power cylinders for moving gradually the chain-and-flight conveyor following the advance of the head.
The connecting members used for connecting the chutes of mining chain-and-flight conveyors so far known are built in such a way that they are provided with suitable yokes fastened to side walls of the end portions of the chutes to be connected. In the said yokes there are dismountable connectors, such as screws, bolts or special shaped connecting links. Component parts of the said connecting members are located in special recesses situated in the side walls of the said chutes and do not protrude from these recesses. This condition must be fulfilled in order to make possible the travel of a cutting machine moving along a mine head. Increased power and weight of cutting machines, as well as increased force exerted by conveyor shifters leads to ever growing demands concerning the strength of chute connections. Most durable and useful under these conditions are connections provided with shaped connecting links, such as e.g. those according to the Polish patent applications No. 194,583, published Feb. 27, 1978 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,751 granted June 12, 1979 where a shaped connecting link with thickened and portions on both sides has been used as a coupling member, the said thickened and portions being mounted in the pocket recessed portions of the yokes. Such a design ensures a high strength of the connection with relatively small width therof necessary in order to match the said connecting link to the grooves in the side walls of the chutes. However, the described design also has considerable disadvantages; it must ensure a convenient mounting of the end portion of connectors in the yoke seats and a reliable protections of the said connectors against disengagement. In the designs so far known, the connectors being used are provided to this aim with special protruding locking caps and splines which are, in turn, secured by means of spring clamps. Unfortunately, the above mentioned protectors protrude from the contour of the connecting yokes and rest against the outer yokes to be used for securing additional equipment of the conveyor such as gates or loading wedges.
The connections so far known have the following disadvantages: troublesome assembly of the connection, particularly as far as mounting of the shaped connecting link and its protection are concerned, a low strength of the connection of relatively short yokes with the side wall of the chute, as well as time-consuming manufacture and high production cost.
The aim of the described invention has been the elimination of the above mentioned disadvantages.